Combined container and spraying device



Nov. 14, 1939. w. M. VOGEL CQMBINED CONTAINER AND SPRAYING DEVICE Filed Dec. 28, 1957 R EY INVENTOR Z/bge],

Patented Nov. 14, 1939 UNETED STATES PATENT OFFIQE COMBINED CONTAINER AND SPRAYING DEVICE 9 Claims.

This invention relates to spraying devices or atomizers of the character! employed for insecticides or similar liquids, and the object of the invention is to provide a can or similar receptacle adapted for containing a liquid of this character in which a spraying device will be built-in or incorporated without materially altering the shape or size of such receptacle.

At the present time, insecticides and similar liquids are sold in metal cans of various sizes and it is customary for the purchaser upon purchasing a can of the liquid to purchase a spraying device into which the liquid or a quantity of the same is poured from the can. The spraying device or atomizer so purchased often has a tank of lesser capacity than the can of liquid purchased, and refilling of the tank of spraying device is often required.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a can or receptacle for containing the insecticide in which a spraying device is enclosed so that the purchaser does not require a separate sprayer but can spray the contents directly from the can; filling of the separate sprayer is thus unnecessary and many other advantages afforded by the use of such a device, will be apparent.

Another object of the invention is to so incorporate a spraying device within a can of conventional size and shape that the general shape and proportion of the can is not altered and the spraying device incorporated with the can shall be a highly practical and efiective sprayer, preferably but not necessarily of the continuous type.

These and other objects are attained by the structure hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing, forming a part hereof, Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view through a can in which the improved built-in spraying device is incorporated; Fig. 2 is a sectional view on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows; Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the line 33 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows; Fig. 4 is a sectional view on the line i i of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows; and Fig. 5 is a sectional view of the upper end of the sprayer, showing a modified construction.

In the drawing, I indicates the body of a can or similar receptacle, which may be of any suitable form and size, and preferably of a shape and size convenient to be held in one hand while the built-in sprayer is operated with the other hand. A can of approximately quart size has been found convenient. In the form shown, the body of the can is substantially rectangular in cross sectional shape. Seamed to the upper end of the body I in the conventional way is the top 2 and similarly secured to the lower end is the bottom 3. The top 2 is provided with the conventional filler opening 4 adapted to be normally closed by the thread-on cap 5 or any other suitable seal, which can be made removable or it can be made permanent, once the can has been filled with the insecticide.

The bottom 3 is formed with a circular opening surrounded by the slightly elevated flange 6, said flange being seamed to the flanged end l of a conical plug-receptacle 8. Said receptacle 8 is internally threaded at 9 near its inner or upper end, the threads 9 receiving the complementary threads in formed on a conical closure plug it which enters into and closes receptacle 8 and which when unthreaded from its engagement with the threads 9, is used as the operating handle of the sprayer. Said plug I I is secured to one end of a piston rod 12 movable through an aperture l3 formed in the inner end or wall M of the conical receptacle 8.

Secured upon the other end of the rod I2 is a piston !5 of the kind conventionally employed in spraying devices, said piston being adapted for reciprocation in a piston chamber or cylinder Hi which extends vertically upward in the can to a point near the top of the can, and has its lower end formed with a flared flange ll, secured to the outer face of the conical seat 8. It will be obvious that as the rod I2 is reciprocated by means of its attached handle, consisting of the plug H, the piston will be moved back and forth in the piston chamber H5.

The end of piston chamber 5 is closed by means of a cup-shaped head ll having its marginal edge secured to the upper end of the piston chamber and having its end it formed with an air opening or outlet !9. Secured within the cup-shaped portion of the head I! is a depressed disc 20 which is formed with a plurality of openings or apertures 2|. The end of the disc 20 and the bottom [8 of the head I! are spaced apart to provide a chamber 22 in which is located a freely movable disc 23 constituting an air valve.

Surrounding the piston chamber 2| and located concentrically therewith is a cylinder 24 co-operating with piston chamber 2i to form an air compression chamber. The inner face of the cylinder 24 is spaced from the outer face of the piston chamber i6, thereby providing an annular air space 25 between cylinder 24 and piston chamber l6.

The upper end of the cylinder 24 is closed by a cap 26 having a centrally located air blast opening 2! normally closed by means of a disc member or valve 28, held in position over opening 21 by means of a spring 29, confined between the raised top of cap 26 and a cup 36 mounted on and secured to the end of cap 26. The cup 30 is formed with a small air opening 3| and said cup is surrounded by a cylindrical section 32 of absorbent material such as felt or the like. Secured over and enclosing the absorbent material 32 is an externally threaded cap 33 which has its lower end secured to the cap 26. The annular flange or side wall of the cap 33 is cut away or apertured as shown at 34 to permit the liquid contents of the can to have access to and saturate the absorbent material 32. The upper portion of cap 33 projects through an opening provided in the top 2 of the can and is secured in said opening in such a way as to provide a liquidtight joint. Cap 33 constitutes a spray nozzle and accordingly is provided with a spray opening 36 which is normally maintained closed when the spraying device is not being operated, by means of the closure or cover member 35 received upon the threaded end portion of the cap 33 protruding above the top 2 of the can.

When the can is sold to a customer it is substantially full of the insecticide or other liquid adapted to be sprayed, which at that time surrounds cylinder 24 and, passing through opening 34 in cap 33, it gains access to and saturates the absorbent material 32. This particularly occurs when the can is tilted or held so that cylinder 24 is horizontally disposed so that the liquid contents of the can will flow by gravity toward opening 34. The sprayer is operated by removing closure member or cover 35 to uncover spray opening 36; plug II is unthreaded from its engagement with threads 9, and the piston I5 is reciprocated in cylinder l2, the plug forming a convenient piston-operating handle,

The spraying device disclosed is of the continuous spray type. That is to say, by leisurely or slow strokes of the piston, air pressure is built up in the annular compression chamber 25 faster than it issues through the aligned openings 21, 3| and 36. Consequently, while the pumping is continued, a continuous spray of fine mist or vapor is projected out of the outermost spray or nozzle opening 36. The air blast emanating from opening 3| creates a suction which draws the liquid from the saturated absorbent material 32 and directs it forcibly out through the spray opening 36.

The utilization of a liquid-saturated absorbent material adjacent to the spray opening 36 provides a uniformity in spray density ejected from the spray opening; it eliminates the provision of a suction or siphon tube common in insecticide sprayers and which, in a built-in construction of this character is likely to cause leakage and evaporation, especially if the can should remain on a storekeepers shelf for a considerable period of time.

The sprayer described is so incorporated in the can structure that no material change in the design or shape of the can is required. The can may be stood upright on a shelf in the conventional manner as indicated in Fig. 1, since the lower rounded end of the plug I does not project below the edge or flange on the can bottom. To operate the spraying device. merely requires that the can be held in one hand with the sprayer downward and the plug ll be moved in and out with the other. When the spraying operation is completed, cover member 35 is replaced over cap 33; the plug II is pushed into receptacle 8 and threaded home therein and the can placed on a shelf as usual. When the device is not being used for spraying and the cover 35 placed in position, no evaporation of the can contents can occur, and when the can contents are depleted, the empty can and its contained sprayer can be discarded since the sprayer is of such design and construction as to permit of its being incorporated in the can structure at relatively small increased manufacturing expense.

The structure of Fig. 5 is slightly a modified form of that of Fig. 1. In Fig. 5 the cup 30, disc 28 and spring 29 are omitted, and the upper end 50 of the cap 26 is elevated slightly. The side wall of the cap 33 has an aperture 5| leading into a valve casing 52 having an open end 53 normally closed by the check valve or ball 54. This valve acts to prevent air pressure from being built up within the can body, should the piston l5 be reciprocated to any great extent While the cover member 35 is in place. With the valve arrangement of Fig. 5, valve 54 is in seated or closed position while pumping occurs when the cover is in place.

While I have shown and described one embodiment of the invention, it is obvious that the invention is not to be restricted thereto, since various modifications may be made in the structure without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, instead of the opening or aperture 34 constituting the means by which liquid from the interior of the can may enter by gravity to reach the absorbent material 32, a suitable, properly positioned, tube may extend into the can and have one of its ends directed to the absorbent material. Various other arrangements of the parts of the spraying device may be made as will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

What I claim is:

1. A can for containing insecticide or other liquid adapted to be sprayed, a cylinder secured to the bottom of said can and extending upwardly from said bottom within the can and surrounded by the liquid contents of the can, an inner centrally located piston chamber disposed within said cylinder and of less diameter than said cylinder whereby an annular air compression chamber is provided between the cylinder and the piston chamber, a conical seat mounted at the lower end of the cylinder and of the piston chamber and closing the lower end of the air compression chamber, a piston-operating handle entering the seat, means for effecting a detachable engagement between said handle and the seat, spaced apertured members located at the upper end of the air compression chamber, absorbent material disposed between said members in position to liquid-charge an air blast passing through the apertures in said members, and means whereby liquid contents of the can may have access to said absorbent material to saturate the same.

2. A can for containing a liquid adapted to be sprayed, a sprayer located within the body of the can and surrounded thereby, said sprayer including an air chamber, an apertured closure member for one end of said air chamber, the aperture in said closure member constituting an air blast opening, a cylindrical absorbent member surrounding said apertured member, means by which can contents may communicate with said absorbent member to saturate the same, a cover member extending over and enclosing said absorbent member, said cover member being provided with a spray opening whereby an air-blast emanating from the air-blast opening will cause liquid from the saturated absorbent member to be directed in spray form through the spray opening.

3. A can for containing a liquid adapted to be sprayed, a sprayer located within and surrounded by the body of the can, said sprayer including a cylinder having one end secured at the bottom of the can and its other end located adjacent the top of the can, an inner concentrically located piston chamber of less diameter than the cylinder whereby an annular air compression chamber is provided between said cylinder and the piston chamber, closure means for the piston chamber including a check valve, closure means for the air compression chamber, the last mentioned closure means including three spaced plate portions provided with aligned openings, valve means located between the two innermost plate portions, absorbent material between the outer and central plate portions, said absorbent means being disposed to allow the passage of an air blast through it and means whereby liquid can contents may have access to said absorbent material to saturate the same.

4. A sprayer provided with an end member having a spray opening, an intermediate member having an opening aligned with said spray opening, an inner member also having an opening aligned with the others, the three members being attached in spaced relationship to an air chamber, piston means for developing air pressure in said chamber, a valve located between the intermediate member and the inner member, a liquid-saturated absorbent material located between the intermediate member and the outer member without obstructing the openings in said members, and a communication between said absorbent material and a source of spraying fluid.

5. A sprayer having a liquid receptacle, an air chamber mounted within the receptacle, a spray nozzle at one end of said chamber on the outside of the receptacle, the air chamber having an air blast opening discharging toward the spray opening, a spray opening in said nozzle, an absorbent material within the nozzle so disposed as not to obstruct the spray opening, said absorbent material extending within the receptacle whereby liquid from the receptacle will saturate said material, a cover member for the outer end of the nozzle, and a check valve located between the absorbent material and the can interior.

6. A can for containing an insecticide or other liquid adapted to be sprayed, a spraying device having a cylinder located in the body of the can and surrounded by the liquid contents of the can, a piston mounted for reciprocation in said cylinder, a piston-operating handle connected to the piston and located at the bottom of the can and movable away from and toward the bottom of the can to reciprocate the piston within the cylinder, a spray nozzle located at the top of the can and provided with a port through which a liquid-charged air-blast is ejected upon movement of the piston in a direction toward the nozzle, and means for delivering liquid from the can contents to the interior of the spray nozzle, said liquid-delivery means including an absorbent element located within the spray nozzle adjacent the port therein, the nozzle having an aperture located within the body of the can by which the absorbent element is disposed in direct communication with the interior of the can and becomes saturated by direct contact with the liquid contents of the can.

'7. A can for containing insecticide or other liquids comprising, a can body having spaced ends, a spraying device located within the can and extending therethrough from one end of the can to its other end, said spraying device including a cylinder with a piston reciprocable within the same, a piston-operating rod extending out of one end of the can, a spray nozzle located at the other end of the can, said spray nozzle having a spray-ejection port leading outside of the can, an absorbent material contained within the nozzle adjacent the spray-ejection port, a portion of the nozzle being located within the body of the can and being apertured to enable the can contents to reach and saturate the absorbent material in the nozzle.

8. A can for containing a liquid adapted to be sprayed including a sprayer having its body portion mounted within the body of the can, said sprayer having an air-blast opening, a cap-like member secured to the sprayer body and having a part located within and another part projecting on the outside of the can, said cap-like member being provided with a spray-ejection opening spaced from the air-blast opening and through which the air-blast is directed, an absorbent material contained within the cap-like member in the space between the air-blast and spray-ejection openings, the portion of the cap-like member that is located within the can being apertured to permit the liquid can contents to reach and saturate the absorbent material in the caplike member.

9. A sprayer provided with a spray nozzle formed with a spray-ejection port, an air chamber having an outlet opening discharging into said nozzle and in a direction toward the port, a liquid-saturated absorbent material located Within the nozzle, said absorbent material liquidcharging the air on its movement from the airoutlet opening to spray-ejection opening, a liquid receptacle surrounding and enclosing the air chamber and also extending around a portion of the nozzle, that portion of the nozzle around which the receptacle extends being apertured to establish a direct communication between the absorbent material in the nozzle and the can contents.

WILLIAM MARTIN VOGEL. 

